Priceline Hotel: 4 * San Diego 1/6-1/9

[librarian]

Via the betterbidding.com PRICELINE link, I've been bidding for San Diego on PRICELINE. Ideally, I'd like to be in the Marina Marriott or the Hilton Bayfront --- the 2 hotels closest to the convention center. However, my bids are continually rejected. I began @ $64, and have been bidding my way up in $3 increments to $94 by adding <4* regions. Am thinking that I may have to check in a night later, as the total price is climbing higher than I'd anticipated. (There is at least one big conference in town @ that time.)

Regions include:

Escondido - Vista, Sorrento Mesa, Downtown San Diego & Harbor Island, Miramar - Rancho Penasquitos - Poway, Mission Valley East - Central San Diego, National City - Chula Vista, San Ysidro - Mexico Border, La Mesa, El Cajon - Santee, Point Loma - Shelter Island - Old Town - Rancho Bernardo

[thereuare]

I don't see much of a rate difference between the first nite of your stay and the other two nites, so not sure if you'll receive a better rate by dropping that nite... or were you intending to bid higher and eliminating the first nite in order to keep your total cost manageable by purchasing two nites instead of three? (i also think that by dropping the first nite you might increase your chances of landing the Sheraton Marina, which might not be as close to the convention center as you'd like)

Thoughts on lower to a 3.5* for the complete 3 nites?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[librarian]

Yeah, you're probably right...Using the betterbidding link, I'm up to $110 (rejected) for a 4* for Th/Fri only (follows). Do you know what the 3.5* hotels are? Hmmm...I'll check the old posts.

01/6/2011 01/8/2011 Escondido - Vista, Sorrento Mesa, Downtown San Diego & Harbor Island, Miramar - Rancho Penasquitos - Poway, Mission Valley East - Central San Diego, National City - Chula Vista, San Ysidro - Mexico Border, La Mesa, El Cajon - Santee, Point Loma - Shelter Island - Old Town 4-Star $110

[AaronJB]

You can find all of the hotels reported to the board on PRICELINE in California at this link.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[librarian]

Thank you, that link is very helpful. I have a general question that I didn't see answered on the FAQs page. If I want a nicer 4* hotel within a group of 4* offerings, say the W is in there, but so is an old Hilton --- am I more likely to win the pricier hotel (i.e. W) if I start with a higher bid, say $100?

[AaronJB]

It is not recommended to bid higher in an attempt to get a particular hotel, as you'll likely wind up overbidding and paying more for the hotel you would have gotten for less. HOTWIRE is somewhat-moderately more expensive, but with that service, one can often make an "educated guess" as to which hotels are showing.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[librarian]

Thanks for sharing; I've been wondering about that. I'm undecided about this particular trip. May just use reward points. $100+/nt. seems pricey for a town like S.D. I appreciate your help. Will let you know if I book via PRICELINE or HOTWIRE via betterbooking link.

[AaronJB]

Rates do look on the higher side for these dates in San Diego, so the discount services may be a good choice for these dates, unless you are looking for a specific property.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches. Please do use the site's links in the Support/Travel links section to start your purchase if you book regular rate.

[librarian]

Didn't have as many reward points as I needed to book. Tried PRICELINE (via betterbidding) again & got:

We searched hundreds of options to find your hotel room, however we can't accept your offer of $115 per room, per night. Your credit card has not been charged. If you are willing to raise your price by $30 to $145 per room, per night, you can try the same request again right now.

Which is still really pricey. Ongoing saga. My apologies.

[AaronJB]

HOTWIRE and regular rates are on the higher-than-average side, as well, for these dates, so $145 does not seem entirely surprising, unfortunately.

However, $145 is a "counter-offer" from the service. That does not mean that $145 is necessarily the required price. The required price is most likely somewhere in-between what you've bid up to ($115) and the counter-offer ($145)

You can continue to move up bit-by-bit (by $5's - if $115 isn't accepted, then $120, etc.) or use rebidding to try to see if the service will take a bid less than $145 (which I think it most likely will, it's just a matter of how much below $145.)

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[daddymaki]

My wife and I just stayed at the marriot Marina Hotel the weekend after thanksgiving at $80 per night. In April we stayed at the Hyatt Grand, which is right next to the Marriott, for $75 per night. In February, over Valentine's weekend, we stayed at the Westin Horton Plaza, which was nice and only about a 1 mile walk, or less, to the convention center, for $70 per night. That was also President's Day weekend. All thru Priceline and booked at least 1-2 weeks prior to our stay and all 4* hotels.

[AaronJB]

My wife and I just stayed at the marriot Marina Hotel the weekend after thanksgiving at $80 per night. In April we stayed at the Hyatt Grand, which is right next to the Marriott, for $75 per night. In February, over Valentine's weekend, we stayed at the Westin Horton Plaza, which was nice and only about a 1 mile walk, or less, to the convention center, for $70 per night. That was also President's Day weekend. All thru Priceline and booked at least 1-2 weeks prior to our stay and all 4* hotels.

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

It would be greatly appreciated if you could share past wins, as the information can help other users. Thanks.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.